“Election officials fear the administration could try to build a national file that includes personal information about voters or impose rules that would boot eligible voters from the rolls and make it harder to cast ballots.” washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/…

Today’s word is…deflection.

New: How an adorable yellow lab got caught up in Trump's campaign of "Deep State" revenge. theatlantic.com/national-secur…

“An octogenarian Air Force retiree who spent half a century in his nation’s service was not allowed to attend a party for a dog he essentially donated to the government and named after his dead wife.” ⁦Shane Harris⁩ on Trump’s retribution theatlantic.com/national-secur…

Always a pleasure to come back to the pod.

Helluva read from Nick Miroff: The CBP sector chief whose aggressive tactics and propaganda videos have made him the hype man of Trump's deportation campaign. theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

.Eduardo Porter on leaving WaPo Opinion: "Jeff Bezos [is] taking the paper down a path I cannot follow, directed toward relentless promotion of free markets...unflinching in patriotism &...optimism about the US. In my view, this layering of dogma undermines critical thinking."

Honestly, how is this any different from a PR/marketing firm? Or a talent agency?

A big get for CNN. I had the privilege of working with Isabelle Khurshudyan at the Washington Post. She's a superb reporter and generous colleague. Congrats! cnnpressroom.blogs.cnn.com/2025/07/23/isa…

Bridge Colby's pivot towards Asia, and away from Europe and the Middle East, leads to a paradox: To remain super powerful, the U.S. may need to temporarily stop superpowering. theatlantic.com/national-secur… By Nancy Youssef, نانسي يوسف , Jonathan Lemire, and @MissyRyan

Democratic voters have said they want a fighter. They may have one. Elaine Godfrey's new profile of Jasmine Crockett, who is testing out the coarse style of politics that the GOP has embraced. theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

She might be the classiest human being alive. And I am honored (and thrilled) to be her colleague again.

New: A MAGA Attorney Hired Epstein’s Lawyer for His ‘Valuable’ Experience theatlantic.com/politics/archi…

NEW: A former attorney for Trump, now advising Pete Hegseth, hired Epstein's lawyer. His “experience on the legal side of the Epstein business was valuable,” he told Shane Harris

A personal note: A long run and now a time of transition. My final Sunday Take. washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/…

And Priscilla. Wall Street. RIP